I've thought of that Zen, but it's probably more trouble than it's worth. I think I'll just send a letter. It likely won't elicit a response, but there's also nothing to lose in sending it. If he reimburses me, it'll presumably be merely an act of good faith.

With our current house, we've thought about eliminating the escrow and paying taxes and insurance directly. Frankly, it's a lot easier to leave out the middleman--assuming the bank will agree to it. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.